ted by the same purpose as ourselves; some, such as those from Ger- many and Italy with bitter personal experience of what Fascist bru- tality means.

Before the train moved out, the people from all around the small town came to shake our hands, to call to us, and sing with us. Some

looked sad, some were smiling, but all joined with us in singing the

“International” as we drew out.

As we rolled a-long we could see peaceful villages nestling in the folds of the hills; their white walls and red roofs reflecting pleasantly the morning sun. The peasants in the fields stopped their work as we passed, and rested on their hoes, and if near enough, called and waved to us.

A nearer view of some of the villages, where they were close to the line, showed us that they were not such pleasant places as they appeared away in the hills. All the whiteness and cleanliness could not hide the poverty and ramshackle state of the houses clustered around the lofty ‘church.

In the afternoon, we reached Barcelona, and left the train to get food. Here again, we received a great welcome. A band led us through the sunny streets, and again there was all the singing and clenching of fists which had greeted us everywhere before, but this time, ins- tead of hundreds, there were thousands of people. Never before had I seen such enthusiasm.

Many of us, perhaps (most of us, may not live to see the end of the fight against Fascism in Spain, but those of us who do, will always have with us the remembrance of the unity between the Spanish

workers and ourselves which was given expression on our journey across Spain.

Across the Pyrenees

When Non-Intervention was enforced, crossing the Spanish border called for the qualities not only of adroitness but of endurance. To avoid detection and arrest, lSOITl8 groups had to spend days and nights on the snow—covered mountains; the unlucky ones served terms of four to six weeks in Fnench prisons, before they could try again.

Here, Harry Hakam, an American, describes some of the obstacles which a group of Volunteers had to overcome en route for Spain:

When we arrived in France we were informed by the American Consul that the border to Spain was closed and that we may as well

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